ELEMENTARY KIDS & FAMILIES

Date:__________________

This resource is designed to allow your family to have time in Gods Word
BEFORE your children attend church. Because Gods plan is for parents to be
the primary spiritual nurturers of their childrens faith, we want YOU to be the
one to introduce this part of The Big God Story to them.
HomeFront Magazine: A Spiritual Parenting Resource is a monthly magazine
that gives your family ideas for creating fun, spiritually forming times in your
homesetting aside sacred space in the midst of your active, everyday lives.
Visit www.HomeFrontMag.com to subscribe to the print edition or to have a digital
copy sent directly to your inbox.

DID YOU KNOW?

Rabbinic tradition held that a person should forgive another three times.
Jesus taught, in contrast to Rabbinic teaching, that we shouldnt number the
amount of times we offer forgiveness to others.
The servant in this story owed the king more money than he could have ever
repaid to him.
Through this parable, Jesus taught that we cant compare what we owe and
what weve been forgiven.

REMEMBER VERSE

GOD FORGIVES
Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
Matthew 18:2135
Jesus tells the parable of the unmerciful servant. Through this story, Jesus
communicates to His followers why and how we should forgive.

JUST FOR FUN

Play Peak and Pit, but instead of sharing the best and worst parts of your day,
share about a person who blessed you recently and a person who upset you
someone you may need to forgive. Share with your children that God calls us to
forgive others. Read together Matthew 18:2135. How many times did Jesus tell
Peter we should forgive someone? Discuss why the master was upset with his
servant. Talk about options for forgiving the person who hurt you (from the Peak
and Pit game). Explain that God continues to forgive us and wants us to do the
same to others.

YOUNGER KIDS
Its important for parents to model forgiveness in the home. When your child or
spouse has wronged you, the way you respond with forgiveness, or not, will have
an impact on how your child responds to situations in the future in his own life.

OLDER KIDS
Your older child may have faced one or more situations that make it very difficult
to forgive those who have wronged her. Remind her that forgiveness doesnt
necessarily mean a restored relationship, it simply means extending the same
grace thats been extended to us by Jesus.

2016 David C Cook. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church
and a national network of family and childrens ministry leaders. All rights reserved.

Spring
Lesson 10

Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise

up on compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!
Isaiah 30:18

TEACHABLE MOMENTS
After reading the Scripture passage, discuss the following together:
How did the king show mercy to his servant?
How has God shown you forgiveness?
Who can you show forgiveness to today?

BLESSING
A blessing can be a spoken prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or
words of encouragement and guidance over your child. For more information
about blessing your child, see the Blessing section in HomeFront: A Spiritual
Parenting Resource @ HomeFrontMag.com
A blessing to pray over your child:
(Childs name), may you know Gods forgiveness this week. May you forgive
others as He has forgiven you.